For All Eternity
by winged love
Summary: Jace and Clary are engaged, but will the others be supportive? How will the parents take it? Will some unexpected events ruin it for them? And is that the pitta patta of little feet we hear? Set after the first 3 books, written before the release of the final books.
1. for all eternity

**Disclaimer: I don not own any of the characters.**

**For All Eternity**

Clary picked up her pace as the rain started to fall heavier. Her green shirt was drenched through and clung to her slim torso and hips. Her black converse sneakers were caked in mud and her socks were damp. Clary was on her way to the institute, to see Jace. As far as Clary was concerned, he had a lot of explaining to do.

Clary was fiddling with the golden chain around her neck when her phone vibrated in her jeans pocket. She pulled it out and looked down at the screen, saw Simon's number flashing across the caller ID, and hit the reject button. He was the last person she wanted to talk to right now.

_Why did Jace have to blab to the entire world? How could he? That was their private business and no one else's! _

Clary knocked heavily on the thick wooden door of the Institute and waited impatiently for someone to answer. She hoped that Jace would be the one to open it. She wanted to yell at him and tell him how insensitive he had been, without everyone overhearing. After a few moments the front door was swung open to reveal Izzy standing on the other side, her thick black hair streaming in the breeze.

"Clary! What are you doing here?" said Izzy, and from the falsely surprised tone in her voice Clary could tell that she already knew. "Did you want to chat to me or tell me anything?"

_Of course, trust Simon to spread the news. Jace is so dead when I get my hands on him!_

Ignoring Izzy, Clary stormed straight through the front door and up stairs. She threw open all the doors as she made her way through the corridors, getting more and more frustrated as she went.

"Jace? JACE! I know your here, Jace!" Clary called, beginning to shiver from the dampness of her clothes.

"Clary?" a low voice came from further down the hall. "What's going on? Are you okay?" It was Jace. He was standing in the threshold of the training room, wearing a pair of baggy trackpaints and a white t-shirt that seemed to accentuate his toned chest. A blue towel was flung over one of his shoulders. He had clearly been working out.

"How could you Jace?" she yelled at him. "Why would you do that to me?" Clary had begun to advance on Jace, but he backed up against the wall, an expression of plain shock on his face.

"What are you talking about?" asked Jace, completely confused.

"You know what I'm talking about! You told them. You told them even though you promised me you wouldn't!" screamed Clary. She was sure that everyone in the building could hear her but at that moment she really didn't care.

"Clary I have no idea what you're talking abou-" started Jace, but Clary cut him off mid-sentence.

"You told him. You told Simon that you proposed and that we're enga-" Jace silenced her by cupping his hand over her mouth. Clary pushed away his hand.

"Clary, I didn't! I promise you I didn't. I wouldn't do that,"Jace whispered at her.

"Don't! Don't lie to me Jace Lightwood!" yelled Clary, teeth chattering, because by now she was shivering from the cold like crazy. Jace tried to wrap the towel from his shoulder around her to keep her warm, but she swatted away his hands. Jace's face fell at this rejection.

"I didn't spill a word of it,Clary! How could you think that I would?"By now Jace's voice had risen to match Clary's. His frustration growing by the second. "I promised you I would keep it a secret until you were ready to tell people. Do you honestly think I would break a promise to you?"

" I don't know what to think any more! Can't you just imagine what people would think of teenagers getting engaged at the age of 17 and 18? I thought you understood, but obviously you don't! You just don't understand!"exclaimed Clary.

This really pushed Jace to his limit.

"Don't you dare tell me I don't understand!" he hissed. "because I do!" Jace grabbed Clay by the waist and spun her around so that her back was pressed up against the wall. He stepped closer to her and pressed his hips up against hers. He placed his hands on the wall on both sides of her head, then bent down and kissed her. His kiss was fierce. Their was a deep longing behind it, mixed with a sense of urgency. It took Clary a moment to figure out what had just happened. _Did he just go from yelling at me to this? _Instinctively, Clary's lips reacted by kissing him back with the same amount of passion. Her arms came up to twine around his neck, fingers locked into his gorgeous golden curls. She had to stand on her toes to get as close as she could to him, so that they were chest to chest. She could feel his beautiful golden body pressed up against the whole length of hers. His knees to her knees, his thighs to her thighs, his muscular torso pressed against hers, his strong hands clutching her waist. She couldn't quite seem to get close enough. Jace wrapped his arms around her and lifted her up so that she could wrap her legs around his waist. Jace sank to the floor and leaned back against the corridor wall, with Clary in his lap, still locked in their loving embrace. In the back of Clary's mind she recalled a time when Izzy had said that fighting to Jace, was like sex to others. _So totally true._

After a few more heated moments, Jace pulled away, only to whisper into Clary's ear.

"I _do_ understand. I understand that I am deeply, incredibly and impossibly in love with you, Clarissa Fray. I understand that you are the only person that I'd ever want to share my life with, and I'm proud of it." Clary blushed a deep scarlet as Jace's lips brushed against her earlobe.

"I love you, Jace. I do," whispered Clary as she ran her hands up the inside of his t-shirt and pulled it up over his head. She then bent her head and, slowly, grazed her lips across his chest, across the black runes tattooed over his shoulder but stopped as her lips met his scar there. The scar on his shoulder shaped like a star. The Herondale star. A deep moan rumbled from within Jace's throat. His hand ran over the sopping wet curls of Clary's red hair. With his hand, he caught hold of her chin and brought it back up so that he could see her emerald eyes, before leaning in and returning to the passionate kiss that they had shared only minutes earlier. That was when he felt it. A cool object between Clary's chest and his. He reached out and pulled at the golden chain around her neck. It held a single gold ring, adorned by a shining diamond. Her engagement ring. Slowly, he reached back around Clary's neck, undid the tiny clasp and removed the small ring. Jace then took her delicate left hand and slid the ring into place where it would, undoubtedly, stay for all eternity.


	2. stranger in the night

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters.**

**stranger in the night**

The silver glow of the moon shone through the open window of the small room, casting an eerie light across the opposite wall. It was a windy and humid night, unseasonably warm. Clary lay sprawled out over her unmade bed with her sketch pad propped up on a pillow in front of her. A light sheen of sweat covered her shoulders and back, which were exposed from the strappy singlet she was wearing. Clary was completely engrossed in her drawing, her brow was slightly furrowed and her teeth were sunk into her bottom lip. Clary was drawing Jace. Her tiny hand moving across the page as she tried, for about the fifth time, to get the curve of his neck right. No matter how hard she tried, she could never really capture the true beauty of Jace. She had tried drawing with him there to look at, but she could never concentrate properly in his presence.

Clary let out a frustrated sigh and tossed her pencil across the room, it hit the wall with a soft _thunk._ She then rolled onto her side and stared at the posters that covered the far side of her room, her back to the open window. She must have sat like that for about fifteen minutes before the storm outside began to really wind up. Thunder made her bed tremble and the strong whistle of the wind filled her ears. As she sat there, Clary thought back to the times when a storm like this would have set her nerves on edge. When she would have bolted down the hall and climbed into the warmth of her mother's bed. But that was when she was a little child. That was before she had stumbled into the shadow world, before she had met Jace and Alec and Isabelle, before she had discovered her true identity as a shadowhunter. Her life had changed so much over the last year and a half.

Clary's eyes were just beginning to drop shut when a loud clap of thunder jolted her back awake. A streak of yellow lightning lit up her room, outlining long shadows across her walls. She whipped her head around to her window and noticed, with a jolt of fear, a large hand gripping onto the bottom ledge of her second story window. Remembering the few training sessions she had attended at the institute, Clary swiftly rolled off her bed and reached under it to grip the old wooden baseball bat Luke had given her when she had turned eight. She quietly pulled it out and crawled over to crouch beside her window. There was now a full arm and leg hurling itself up and into Clary's room. Clary took a few steadying breaths before bringing the bat back and letting it snap forward just as a head and torso climbed over the window ledge. It connected with something hard. The unknown intruder stumbled forward through the window frame and let out a loud curse.

"Jeeze Clary! It's me, clam down!" exclaimed a slightly pissed-off Jace. He was sitting on the floor rubbing at his shoulder where Clary's bat had hit him. Clary let out a little squeal and reached out to flick on her light.

"Oh my god, oh my god. Jace, I had no idea! Oh god, are you alright?" she rushed forward and wrapped her arms around him, causing him to fall back onto a pile of clothes on the floor. "I thought- I mean..." Clary was fighting back tears as she buried her face into Jace's chest. "I thought you were him. I thought you were Johnathon," her words came as sobs as a series of vivid memories and remembered nightmares flashed behind her lids. _Arms like iron bonds wrapping around her wrists, hot breath against her face as Johnathon's lips whispered threats into her ears, demons of destruction closing in on her and blocking her path to Jace, Valentine holding a sword to Jace's chest, and Jace... laying cold and face down on the sand as blood flowed down from a wound over his chest, his heart. _

Knowing what was going on in her head, Jace wrapped his toned arms around Clary's waist and leaned back against the edge of her bed. His hand rubbing comforting circles across her back.

"Shh... Clary it's alright. You're alright, it's me, just me. I didn't mean to scare you, I just didn't want to wake Luke or your mother. No one's gonna hurt you, you're safe,"he whispered against her soft hair. "safe,"

After a few minutes Clary had calmed down and was sitting on Jace's lap talking as they watched a late night chick flick on tv.

"I'm so lucky to have you. I love you, you know that?" Clary said as she stared up into Jace's golden eyes. As soon as the words left her mouth she could see the mischievous glint appear in his eyes and the sarcastic smile twist up the corners of his perfect lips.

"Of course you do. What's not to love?" Jace smirked as he said it, knowing that Clary would know that he really meant '_yeah I love you too'. _

Clary pulled her hand free of his long fingers so she could wack him across the back of his head, she didn't even glance away from the tv as she did it.

"You know, I only put up with all of your smart sarcastic remarks because deep beneath it all I know there is a caring and emotional side of you,"

"Emotions." Jace scoffed. "I'm a man and men do not have _emotions,_" he dropped the fake superior voice and added, "although I do love my beautiful, gorgeous, red headed finance... you're my only girl and always will be."

After a few more comfortably silent moments Clary swivelled around again to face Jace. She now had a leg on either side of his narrow hips and was moving her fingers up to twine through his blond hair.

"I think it's time," she mumbled.

"mmm... time for what babe?"

Taking a deep breath, she let the words rush out. "to tell my parents, and your parents. It's been long enough,"

Jace's head snapped up from where it had been resting against Clary's forehead. "Really?"

A huge grin slowly spread across his face and his eyes were glinting with pride. Jace had been waiting impatiently for this moment. He just wanted to scream it out to the world, to let everyone know that Clary was his and that he was hers.

"Yes," Clary responded, there was no hint of hesitation in her answer.


	3. red ringlets

**sorry i haven't updated in a while. i've been crazy busy, but i promise i'll try and write more. this chapter isn't the best because i didn't have too much time and it's just getting into the next bit of the story... **

The soft groaning of the elevator hummed through Jace's ears as he made his way back up to the institute. His brow was scrunched up in deep concentration and his eyes stared, unseeingly, into the mirrored walls of the elevator. He was stressing over how he would break the news to both his and Clary's parents. He just couldn't seem to come up with the right words. Should he tell them straight out, or make a little speech? Should they go out for lunch somewhere public so that Luke can't kill him, or just rock up to their house unexpected? He had no idea what to do. Several scenarios were playing through Jace's mind. _The nervous fidgeting of Clary as she sat next to him on her parents couch. The way she would cringe as he began to explain their engagement to Luke and Jocelyn. The furious and protective look on Luke's face. The disbelieving expressions on Robert and Maryse's faces as he told them of how much he truly cared for Clary..._

Jace was snapped out of his thoughts by the chime of the elevator as the doors sprung open to reveal the wide corridors of his home. His eyes fell upon a small grey ball of fur curled up on the stone floor and he made his way over to it.

"Have you seen Clary, Church?" he asked the cat as he bent down to stroke between it's ears. The cat leaned in to his touch, clearly enjoying the scratch. "Take me to Clary," Jace ordered as he stood back up straight and followed the small grey cat down the corridor and around the corner. Church had lead him to the training room, where Jace was not surprised to find Clary. She had been taking her training very seriously and, Jace was proud to admit, she was learning fast.

Clary was currently taking on Izzy. She had her bright red curls pulled back into a neat ponytail, and was wearing a pair of black shorts and a navy blue singlet top that finished just above her hipbones so that a thin strip of white skin was visible above her shorts. Clary was barefoot. Jace decided to let them carry on undisturbed, so he stayed in the doorway, leaning casually against the frame. Jace studied Clary's movements with awe. He loved to watch her graceful yet still feisty movements while she was fighting. She reminded him of a tiger. The way she could be light on her feet and strong all in the one step. The way she always knew when to lunge and when to retreat. It was almost as if she had been fighting for years, instead of just several months.

Clary and Isabelle were going fine, each taking turns in pinning the other one down of hitting them across their sides, until Clary dropped to the floor and vomited all over the training mats. Jace froze with shock in the doorway for a few seconds before he sprinted across the threshold and dropped down by Clary's side.

"Clary! What's wrong?" Jace exclaimed as he looped an arm around Clary's waist and pulled her onto his lap.

"She just puked, obviously," retorted Izzy as she reached out to wipe a few loose strands of Clary's hair away from her face.

"I can see _that_, Iz, but-" Jace was cut off as Clary's small frame heaved in his arms and twisted away from him only to be violently sick again. All Jace could do was hold her hair out of the way and watch as his girl was sick again. When Clary was finished Jace picked her up and carried her out of the room and towards his bathroom down the hall. He placed her down carefully in front of the bath, then sat on the low edge of it and looked at her. Jace noticed that some of the colour had made its way back into her cheeks and that she no longer looked as if she were going to vomit again. It was odd. He thought that she might have had a stomach bug but she now seemed perfectly fine.

"Do you wanna tell me what that was about?" he asked her quietly as she leaned back against the wall.

"I don't know Jace. I was fine until I spun around too fast while fighting Izzy, but I'm fine again now," Clary shrugged. Jace just sat staring at her for a moment, and she stared back into his gorgeous gold eyes trying not to show him how worried she really was. This had not been the first time she had been sick this week, but it had been the first time that Jace or anyone else had witnessed it. After a few moments Clary broke eye contact to get up and rinse her mouth in the sink. She took her time as she did it, trying to ignore the feeling of Jace's eyes which were boring into the back of her head. Turning off the tap she turned around to speak to him.

"Maybe we should post pone telling the parents for tonight. I don't feel up to it tonight."

Jace nodded his head silently. She could tell that he was concerned for her and it reminded her of just how much her truly loved her.

They spent the rest of the day locked up in Jace's room together, only interrupted once by the soft buzzing of Clary's phone. She pulled it out and saw 'mum' flash across the caller id.

"I'd better answer this and let her know we're not going out for tea anymore,"

"Okay, but tell her we'll do it on Friday night instead,"replied Jace.

Clary rolled her eyes. There was no way Jace was going to let her get out of announcing their engagement this week. She let out a silent sigh. She knew how much he loved her and how important this engagement was to him. It wasn't as if Clary didn't want to be engaged to him, she was just terrified of telling her parents. She was only seventeen after all. Walking into Jace's small bathroom she flipped open her phone and began what was, no doubt, going to be a long conversation with Jocelyn.

After many boring minuets, Jace decided to join her in the bathroom. He just stood behind her and played with her curly hair while listening to her chat to her overprotective mother.

"yes mum. Of course I'm in the training room... yes. We're practising weapons work... okay..." Clary's reassurances to her mum continued as Jace twirled a long strand of her hair around his finger before pulling down on it gently, letting go and watching it spring back up in a flaming red ringlet. Clary's eyes watched him in the mirror. She noticed the small smirk tug on the corner of his mouth and inwardly laughed at how amused he was at the little things in life. This was the Jace that she alone knew. The Jace that was usually hidden behind an arrogant sarcastic version of himself. This was the Jace she loved.

**okayyy:) Please let me know what you thought of this chapter and what you think should happen in the next few...**


	4. A dream?

Clary watched the rain fall in heavy droplets, creating puddles across the uneven ground of the field. It poured down in a constant grey sheet, soaking everything in its path. She was soaked. Her hair was plastered to her face and her thin black dress clung to her rounded stomach as if it were a second skin. This made Clary look down in surprise.

_Since when have I been so round?_ _ I almost looked as if I'm expecting_. _Strange. _

Suddenly she could feel warm tears rolling down her cheeks, mixing with the cold rain on her face before landing in her lap. Her chest felt tight and the back of her throat was sore, but she could not seem to control the sobs that raked through her body and spilled out of her lips. _What's wrong with me? Why am I crying? _

She was in pain, not physical pain, but emotional pain. It felt as if her whole reason for being had been taken away from her. As if her heart had been snatched from her chest, thrown on the ground and stomped on. He were gone and she was all alone.

_Who am I looking for? Who's missing? And again, why am I crying?_

Unconsciously, Clary reached up and gripped the thin golden chain that she always wore around her neck. She let her fingers slide down to the end of the chain where she knew they would meet the smooth round surface of his ring.

_Who's ring is this? And why have I got it? _

She glanced down at the glistening golden band and saw a tiny slither of her face reflected back at her. Sighing, Clary looked back up to continue staring unseeingly across the open expanse of the field, but a figure was now standing over near a cluster of trees and had caught her eye. It was a man, with broad shoulders and light blonde hair. How come she had not noticed him before? As Clary squinted harder through the sheeting rain she noticed that there was something not right about this man. There seemed to be an unearthly glow surrounding him. As if his skin contained tiny fragments of sunlight.

_But that's impossible, isn't it?_

Curiously, she watched as this man slowly turned so that he was facing her from across the field and found herself gasping when she recognised his face. Clary knew those golden eyes, the slight curl of his blonde hair, that lazy grin which had spread its way across his lips.

_Jace. That's Jace._

Her heart began to speed up as he made his way over to where she was curled up on the grass. Stopping just a few feet away from where Clary sat, he looked down at her with an unreadable expression. He did not talk or move.

_What's going on? Is this real? Or am I dreaming? _

After a long and painful moment of silence it became clear to Clary that he was not going to speak, so she spoke.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were gone. I thought I was never going to see you again." Her voice was croaky, the words flowing out of her mouth without her mind registering or having control over what was being said.

_What am I talking about? _

He just continued to stare at her with an unnerving intensity. She did not like it. Her whole body was shaking as she carefully stood up so that she was now looking at him face to face. He was different, she noticed.

_How can someone look so familiar yet so different at the same time?_

Hesitantly, she outstretched her arm to lay her hand on his shoulder, but instead her hand continued to glide straight through him as if he were only coloured air. He was not material. He was only a ghost. Clary quickly brought her hand back to her side and staggered backwards, away from the ghost. She was overcome with fear as she began to put together what was going on. Her heart beating like a drum within her chest.

"It's okay," Jace said. "I am okay. It's time for me to move on. I love you so much and regret that I will never have the chance to see our child grow up."

His voice sounded the same as she remembered it. Deep and calming, and, for some reason that she could not explain, she believed him. But what was this about a child?

_Who is he talking about? What child? _

At that moment Clary felt a warm hand press gently down on her stomach, and glanced down to find that Jace had spread his hand flat against her oddly round stomach. 

_What is going on? Am I pregnant? No. No, I'm not. _

Suddenly the sun broke out from behind the clouds and the rain ceased. The field was drenched in gold. It was almost too beautiful to look at, but Clary forced herself to watch. Jace slowly turned away from Clary and walked into the sunlight where he disappeared as if he had just evaporated into thin air.

_Jace. No, come back to me Jace! _

Clary began to scream.


	5. Wakeup call

**Hi guys, I know it's been a reallllllyyyy long time since I started this story, but this time I am determined to finish it! Please read and let me know what you think :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, other than the storyline **

Luke woke suddenly to the sound of his step-daughter screaming. A quick glance at his alarm clock told him that it was 4:30 in the morning. He quietly jumped out of bed and reached inside his walk-in-wardrobe to grab a knife, before quickly making his way down the narrow hall to Clary's room. He grasped the handle of Clary's closed door, prepared his weapon, then swung it wide open, only to reveal Clary thrashing around restlessly on the bed in her otherwise deserted bedroom. There was no intruder or demon to be seen. Luke clumsily dropped his knife before crossing the threshold and gripping his step-daughter by the shoulders as she continued to scream.

"Clary! Clary wake up!" He yelled over her screams. With a few more shakes of her shoulders Luke had successfully managed to wake her. Her eyes flew open to reveal their emerald irises which currently occupied a desperate and distraught gleam.

"He's gone, he's gone!" she mumbled urgently as she clutched onto Luke's shirt.

"What? Who's gone, Clary?" Luke looked into Clary's eyes and watched as the desperation disappeared, only to be replaced with confusion.

"I-I don't know. It was just a dream," Clary replied as she let go of Luke and swung her pyjama-clad legs over the edge of her bed. Luke stepped back to allow Clary enough room to stand.

"Where's mum?" she asked as she reached for the lamp switch, before turning towards her set of draws and rummaging through her clothes until she came across a black hoody. Jace's. Suddenly her mind was filled with memories and images from her dream. _A black dress clinging to her rounded stomach. A golden ring hanging from a chain. A man - no, Jace- standing with her in an open field. The whispered "I love you" followed by the single word "child". Jace, gone, forever._

"Idris. She left a couple of hours ago, something about the Clave. The Lightwoods were called over as well. She said she'd be back later tonight or early tomorrow morning," Luke's words snapped her mind back into the present, his eyes watching her worriedly, following her every move. Clary pretended not to notice. She was about to tell him not to worry, that she'd be fine and that he should go back to bed, when all of a sudden she felt nauseous. Her stomach roiled and she pushed past Luke and back down the hall to the bathroom.

Clary had only just made it to the toilet in time to lean over the edge and be violently sick. She knew that Luke had followed her in and was standing right behind her, but she ignored him, moving across to the sink to wash the horrible acidic taste from her mouth. Once she was done she looked up and stared at herself in the mirror. Her eyes met with a perfect reflection of her own green eyes, her messy red bed-hair, her slim figure engulfed by Jace's black hoody. Nothing out of the ordinary. Clary let her eyes linger a moment longer on her flat stomach. Definitely no round bump there.

"I need to see Izzy," she said, turning towards Luke. "I know it's early but I just remembered something important." Clary hoped he wouldn't object. Not this time. She needed help, and she couldn't get it from her step-father. When Luke made no move to stop her, Clary rushed out of the room, down the stairs and into the kitchen where she grabbed her phone and wallet from the bench before heading for the front door.

"Just be back by Lunch," she heard Luke call as she slipped a pair of shoes on and shut the door behind her.

-o.O.o-

Clary was huddled up in the back seat of a cab. The strong smell of old cigarette, air freshener and leather seats filling her nose as she reached for her phone on the empty seat beside her. The luminescent blue glow of the screen lit up the back seat of the cab in the weak early morning light as she scrolled through her contacts until she reached Isabelle's number. Pressing 'call' she held her breath and prayed that Izzy would answer.

"Hello" Isabelle's smooth, sleepy voice filled Clary's ear. "Clary, do you have any idea how early it is? There's only so long a shadow hunter gets to sleep for and I really need to catch up on my beauty sle-"

"I think I'm pregnant," Clary said, cutting off Izzy.

"What? How?" Isabelle sounded dumbstruck.

"Really Izzy? Are you honestly telling me you don't know ho-"

"okay, okay. Stupid question. But are you sure? Have you taken a test or something?"

Clary began to sob just at the thought. "No, not yet, but I've been sick almost every morning for the last week, I've been having crazy dreams, the smell of food is disgusting lately... I just need to know for sure. Do you mind if I come over?" Clary asked Izzy.

"Sure, just umm... Just maybe stop on the way and buy a test kit. We'll sort this out, but Clary, what about Jace? Does he know about this? You guys are engaged, he deserves to know," Isabelle said.

"No! Isabelle you cannot mention this to him. Not yet. Just let me know for sure first, then I'll figure the rest out, okay?"

Clary waited for Izzy to answer.

"...Fine, see you soon." came her reluctant answer.

Hanging up, Clary gave the cab driver instructions to pull over at the closest convenient store to the Institute's address, and handed him a $20 dollar note before climbing out, still wearing her pyjama pants and Jace's hoody.

**okay :) Please, please review and let me know what you think...**


	6. Little Pink Signs

The elevator doors slid open to reveal the cold empty corridors of the Institute. Clary quickly glanced left and right before heading down the main corridor towards Izzy's room. _seven, eight, nine... _Clary counted the doors as she went, fidgeting with the small brown paper bag that contained the test kit. The bag itself was innocent. No logo or anything to suggest what was inside it, just a plain paper bag. She had almost reached Izzy's room when another door flew open right in front of her and out stepped Alec.

"Oh, lookout there," Alec said as they bumped into each other, his hand reaching out to steady her. However, Clary was not concerned by the bump and she quickly bent down to retrieve the bag which she had dropped. It's contents has slipped out slightly and she hurriedly shoved it back inside, hoping that Alec had not been able to read the writing on the box.

"Sorry," she mumbled, a slight flush colouring her cheeks.

"No problem," replied Alec. "Emergency with Jace, or...?"

Clary had to think fast. "Umm...no. Girl talk with Iz actually."

"In your pyjamas and uggs?" Alec raised an eyebrow and looked dubiously at Clary.

She smiled up at Alec, hoping he wouldn't pursue the conversation any further. When he said nothing else she jogged off down the hall and yanked Izzy's door open before she had the chance to run into anyone else, especially Jace.

Shutting the door behind her, Clary turned to find Isabelle sprawled out on her bed with a magazine spread in front of her, headphones in her ears. _Typical._ Clary waved her hand in front of Izzy's face to get her attention.

"Oh! Good, you're here!" exclaimed Izzy, as she sat up crossed legged on the bed to make room for Clary. "I've been so worried. What if you're right? How are you gonna tell Jocelyn? Jace? Mayrse? Oh, God. You are so screwed."

"Iz! You're not helping! I'll worry about all that later, first just help me figure this test out, okay?"

Ten minutes later, Clary and Isabelle had figured out the test and were waiting for the reading from the stick. Isabelle continued to sit on her bed, biting her lip as she watched a very stressed out, nerve racked Clary pace the length of the room.

"Arghh! How long has it been now?" Clary asked impatiently.

"Only three minutes," replied Izzy. "Seven more to go."

Clary gave up her pacing and sat right in the middle of the rug, holding the stick, watching for any sign of a reading. _Please be negative, please be negative, please be negative..._

Six minutes later, Clary gave a startled yelp, before bursting into uncontrollable sobs and tears. The test slipped from her hands as Izzy slid onto the floor beside her and embraced her comfortingly. Clary's sobs continued to fill the room for most of the morning until they were unexpectedly interrupted.

The door swung open and none other than Jace himself strode in.

"Hey Iz, want some breakfast-" His sentence was cut short when he looked down and noticed Clary curled up besides Isabelle, looking very small and vulnerable.

"Clary?" She did not look up at him. "What's going on?" Jace stared at Clary a few seconds more, waiting for an answer that was obviously not coming. Jace knelt down in front of her and cradled her face between his hands, forcing her to meet his gaze.

"Why are you crying? What's wrong?" He pushed for an answer. Instead of responding, Clary pulled back and reached for the dropped test stick with very shaky hands. She turned it over so that the little pink plus sign was facing up and held it out to Jace.

"I'm pregnant, Jace."

Jace slowly reached for the stick without taking his golden eyes off of Clary's tear streaked face. He glanced down and numbly registered the reading on the test. He looked back into Clary's eyes, his face a blank page. She did not know whether Jace was angry or upset or disappointed, but she was sure it was one of those options.

A few seconds passed by before she got any sort of reaction from Jace. He looked deep into her green eyes and smiled. It was a small sort of smile. One that said everything was okay, that he was there for her. It wasn't a huge gesture but it was all she needed.

"I love you," he whispered. "No matter what." Then Jace leaned forward and captured her bottom lip between his own. He reached his arms down and wrapped them around her small waist. Clary gently combed her shaking hands through his silky hair and pressed herself deeper into his embrace. They were just starting to get heavy when a voice broke them out of their bubble.

"Eww... Seriously, I know you're all blissed out about becoming parents and all but could you at least get a room? other than mine?"

Jace pulled back and they began laughing.


	7. decisions and undecisions

**hey guys, sorry that this is only a quick update, but I feel that it's important to the story and will lead into the next big chapter. I believe that it gives the reader more depth into Jace's emotions. Please read...**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot**

A loud thud echoed through the large expanse and the high beamed ceiling of the training room as Jace's body slammed into the training mats. He landed on his stomach, Alec's foot pushing down on his toned bare back. Jace's breaths were coming hard and fast, and his skin was slick with a light sheen of sweat. They had been at it for hours, but despite Alec's obvious exhaustion, Jace refused to stop. He needed something to do. A way to be active. A way to work off his muddled thoughts and emotions. Fighting was what he needed.

"Again," Jace groaned as he pushed himself back up from the ground.

"Seriously? Jace, we've been at this for the last three hours. I'm hungry and tired, you're exhausted," replied Alec, a disbelieving look upon his face. Jace did not seem to notice.

"C'mon, I'm ready," Jace had taken up an attacking stance and was ready to pounce when Alec spoke.

"No. Jace, I'm done."

Jace shrugged. "Fine, have it your way," he said before making his way over to a punching bag where he began to beat the crap out of it.

Alec stood there for a minute watching him, but the longer he watched the more violent and intense Jace's punches became. He began to pound away at the bag with no regard for the state of his hands or the rhythm of his blows.

"Woah, stop. Stop, Jace," Alec ran over to him and pulled him away from the bag which was left to swing rapidly from the wall.

"What's going on? Tell me," Alec demanded.

"Nothing."

Alec knew that Jace was lying. In fact, Alec knew a lot more than he should.

"It's Clary, isn't it? This is about that test she had."

Jace turned to look his brother in the face, his eyes scrutinising the open innocence of Alec's.

"Who told you?" He finally asked. If he found that Izzy had told anyone he was going to kill her.

"No one. She dropped the box in front of me on her way in yesterday."

Jace let out a long frustrated sigh and nodded.

"I don't know what to do, Alec. She's pregnant. She has a baby growing inside of her and I don't know if I'm ready for this. Not yet." Jace's words came out in a fast jumble. He ran his fingers through his hair and sank down to the floor. "How am I supposed to take care of a baby when I can barely take care of myself?"

Alec was at a loss for words. He just stood there and looked at the lost expression on the other boy's face. In all the years that he had known Jace, Alec had never expected to see him break down like this. This was not the arrogant, brave Jace that he knew. This Jace was a complete stranger.

"Maybe I should just leave her alone. For the child's sake. No child wants me as their father. I mean, I was raised by Valentine for Angel's sake. I'd be a horrible father, I'd-"

Alec had heard enough and knew where Jace was heading.

"Stop!" He cut Jace's sentence short. "You are _not_ like Valentine. You're nothing like him. You'd be a wonderful father if you committed to it. That's your problem, Jace. Commitment. You need to think about Clary and the future of your family. I'm not letting you abandoned your fiance or your unborn son or daughter! You're so narrow-minded that you can't even welcome unexpected change. But guess what? That's how life is, Jace. Things happen and we need to accept that and make the most of it. This child is going to need you in their life."

Alec hadn't noticed that he was yelling until he finished speaking. Jace stared at him with a shocked expression. Jace's mind was running in full circles, and minutes passed before it stopped turning. Alec watched as decision dawned in his eyes.

"I've got to take Clary. We're telling the parents." And with that statement Jace quickly hugged Alec and ran from the room.

**please leave a review :) and let me know whether you think they should tell all the parents as a group or as couples. **


	8. Snap!

**Hi all! I haven't updated for about 2-3 years and thought it was time to finally finish off this story. So here is the next chapter, I haven't written anything in quite a while so please review and let me know what you all think! Any opinions will be greatly appreciated! :) **

Clary lay sprawled out across her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling fan as it spun continuously above, sending loose sketch paper flying off the desk and onto the floorboards below. She let the monotonous whir of the ceiling fan lull her into a relaxed state, her mind a million miles away from her Brooklyn home. In her mind, Clary was in Idris. _The sun was beating down on her, bright and warm, the air was full of the sounds chirping birds in the nearby orchard. She was sitting on a bench seat, gleefully watching Jace teach a young blonde haired boy how to shoot an arrow._ She supposed this was what her future might look like, she and Jace living together and raising their child, yet to be born. Or perhaps it would be a little girl, with flaming red hair to match her own. She could imagine teaching her to draw runes, practicing on sheets of paper, pining her latest achievements to the fridge for the whole family to see. A small smile appeared on Clary's face as she let herself get sucked into more and more musings of her future as a parent. Suddenly a car horn blared, snapping her out of her daydreams and back to the present. The horn was quickly followed by angry yells floating up through her open window from the street below. With a small moan, Clary rolled off her bed and made her way over to her window where she found an angry cab driver waving his arms at Jace who appeared to have cut across the road in front of him. Clary couldn't help but roll her green eyes as she witnessed Jace raise his middle finger at the driver before continuing towards the front door of her building.

Jace knew that Clary was home alone, so it was no surprise to her when she heard the door to her apartment swing open followed by Jace's footsteps.

"I'm in here!" Clary called, and soon Jace burst through to her bedroom and pulled her towards him by the waist. She let out a small gasp as Jace bent down and captured her lips with his own. His kiss was passionate, desperate, as though he couldn't breath without her. He raised his arms and curled his fingers into her hair, tilting her neck backwards to allow better access to her face, deepening their kiss. It didn't take Clary long to respond, gripping his sides, digging her fingers into the hard muscle across his stomach. It was as steamy kiss, and Clary wondered what had brought on this mood in Jace. After several minutes, Jace pulled back and whispered into her ear.

"It's time," he breathed "we need to tell them." Clary knew exactly what he was referring to and began to shake her head in disagreement.

"Jace we cant, not now, they're going to assume the engagement is linked to the pregnancy. They won't take it seriously at all! Mayrse will hate me and my Mother will be so disappointed-" Jace placed his finger over her lips, stopping her from voicing her panic.

"It doesn't matter Clary, we know the truth, and that's all that counts. Plus we really can't back out now," he grinned down at her, "not after I've already made arrangements to meet them all in two hours from now." Jace had to duck in order to dodge Clary's hand as it moved to connect with his head. He couldn't help but laugh at the typical feisty reaction.

They spent the next two hours watching boring day time television, and mentally preparing Clary for their meeting with the parents. Clary was amazed at how quickly Jace had adapted to the idea of becoming a father. She could tell that he was frightened, but looking into his golden eyes she could see just how proud he was. He was excited and apprehensive all at the one time.

-o.O.o-

Clary and Jace walked hand-in-hand as they entered the Institute's large kitchen, where they found Robert, Mayrse, Jocelyn and Luke sitting around the long oak table. They each had steaming mugs of coffee in front of them, chatting idly to each other despite the obvious tension and curiosity regarding the unknown occasion in which they had been gathered. Jace, somewhat arrogantly, cleared his throat as they approached the table, gaining the parents' attention.

"Jace," Robert greeted him tersely, and Jace nodded in response. He pulled out the chair at the head of the table and guided Clary to sit down. Jace did not sit; instead he stood beside Clary's chair, leaving one hand resting reassuringly upon her shoulder.

"What did you want to tell us?" Mayrse asked.

"We have some news," Jace began, "I know it's usually customary to seek permission beforehand in these circumstances, but I didn't see the point to be completely honest. I've asked Clary to marry me."

There was a moment of complete silence. Clary anxiously took in the expressions on the adults' faces. She had not expected Jace to be so abrupt in announcing this. Robert and Luke looked outright furious, while Maryse stared daggers back at Clary. And her mother's face was blank, showing no signs of either anger nor disappoint. Instead there was a steady, calculating expression in her eyes. Clary's hands clenched tightly onto the wooden seat of her chair, her nails digging into the splinters. She felt Jace's own hand tighten protectively on her shoulder as Robert exploded at them.

"You cannot be engaged, this is absolutely ridiculous! While it may be perfectly acceptable in Idris for shadowhunters to marry young we are in different circumstances here. Clary has not yet finished her training, neither of you are nineteen; you are not even of age! And soon enough you will be assigned to another institute, Jace, and Clary will remain at training." Robert spat out.

"This behavior is too rash Jace, think of your future with the clave," Maryse added quickly. Clary could feel Jace becoming more and more defensive by the second.

"I have given this quite a lot of thought actually, and it is perfectly legal to propose before the age of consent!" he argued back, "we can decide for ourselves." Clary opened her mouth in an attempt to diffuse the bickering, but was cut off by Jocelyn's quiet words.

"There's more to this," she declared, "there's something you haven't told us."

All eyes turned to Jocelyn as she continued to assess. "There is a reason behind this engagement Clary and I am fairly certain I know what it is."

Jace looked down at Clary, a silent question passed between the two of them. His expression seemed to say _should I tell them or should you?_

Clary took a deep breath and turned back to her mother.

"I'm pregnant," she whispered. _Snap_, the sound of a fist connecting with bone echoed through the kitchen loud and sharp.

**Please review!**


	9. I Love You Both

**Anddd here's the next chapter! Read and review! :)**

Jace stumbled backwards, hitting his shoulder against the cold stonewall behind him. He had one hand clamped over the side of his face and the other thrown out to steady him against the wall. There was blood dripping from his bottom lip, which Clary could see had split under the impact of the blow. There was no permanent damage but Jace would surely have a bruise along his left jawline. Clary sat, mouth agape, unsure of how he would react. It was not like Jace to be caught off-guard, but it seemed that Luke had somehow managed to do it. There was a brief moment of silence, shock on everyone's faces, before Luke reached out to help Jace to steadiness.

"I'm sorry, " Luke said "just seemed appropriate at the time." Clary watched as Jace strode past Luke to stand on the opposite side of her chair.

"Don't worry about it," he mumbled. Clary could tell that it took all of Jace's self control to stop himself from making a smart remark or some sort of sadistic joke about the situation. Instead he just waited for someone else to speak.

"This isn't what we had hoped for the two of you, not at such a young age, but I suppose that there isn't anything we can do about that now," Jocelyn said. "The situation is out of our hands, and I think we all need to have a discussion about where to go from here."

Clary could see that her mother was disappointed, but not angry. Perhaps she would be somewhat supportive of the situation. She knew that Jace reminded her mother of a younger Valentine, and that it would take some convincing to reveal to her that she and Jace were truly meant to be, but for the time being she would take any form of acceptance she could get.

"We need to talk about Clary's options," Maryse said.

"There are no options," Jace quickly announced. "We have decided to go through with this pregnancy, Clary chose so herself."

All eyes turned back to Clary, who self-consciously nodded in agreement.

"It's what I want. I am having this baby." She spoke up at last. Although her voice came out slightly shaky, there was no uncertainty in her words. They spent the next few hours talking and arguing over the engagement and the pregnancy. In the end, it was decided that Clary would continue to live with her mother and Luke, and that she would cease her training but continue to learn shadowhunter theory at The Institute.

Jace led Clary down the corridor towards his room, leaving the quiet sounds of conversation from the kitchen behind them. He could tell that Clary was feeling tense, and not just because of the small crease between her eyebrows. He watched as she flopped down on his bed, legs hanging off the end and arms thrown back above her head. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she stared at the roof with an anxious expression. Jace looked at her and wondered how he had gotten so lucky in life to find an angel as perfect as Clary. He quickly kicked off his boots, and made his way over to the bed where he lay, hovering over Clary.

"I love you, Clarissa Fray," he murmured, planting a kiss on her forehead. Clary smiled up at him.

"I love you too, Jace," she replied.

He rolled over and sat, legs outstretched, next to her. Playing with a curl of her hair.

"Tell me, how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, but that was the most difficult thing I've had to do since returning from Idris. I can't help but feel that I've disappointed everyone. Mayrse probably thinks horribly of me. My mother clearly doesn't think I'm ready for this, and Robert and Luke are both angry," Clary said.

"That's not true, you haven't disappointed me," Jace replied soothingly. "Besides, that's not what I was referring to. How are you _feeling,_ you know, being pregnant and what not?"

Clary thought about that for a moment before responding. "I feel the same, to be honest. Like, right now I guess it isn't much of an issue, I still fit into all of my clothes; there's no bump. Just morning sickness before lunch."

Jace smirked, "ah, I hear that only gets worse, Miss Fray," he teased. Clary let out a small laugh, moving to place her head on his lap.

"You won't like me when I begin to look like a walking watermelon," she joked back. "I'll be so big!" Clary felt nervous at the idea. "What will we do once he or she is born? We have to consider the baby's future, Jace."

"One step at a time, my love, let's just take each day as it comes." Jace leaned down and gently kissed her pink lips. "Besides, what's not to say it won't be an 'it'?" Clary sat up and playfully stuck her tongue out at Jace. She knew that these sarcastic remarks were his unique way of dealing with it, so there was no need to bait his jokes further. Jace surprised her then by reaching out and pulling her tee shirt up to reveal her flat, white stomach. He leaned over and kissed her skin, just below her belly button. "I love you both."


End file.
